RECENT PRODUCT NEWS

Designer, developer, and manufacturer of thermostatic mixing and temperature control valves, Horne Engineering, says that waterborne bacteria are ‘ubiquitous’, and argues that it is thus ‘arguably impossible’ to completely eradicate them from hospital water supplies.

HCA’s Portland and London Bridge Hospitals have equipped their brand new PICU and ICU with BRANDON MEDICAL’s next generation Atlas Medical Pendants. A total of 17 pendants were installed at the head of each bed to maximise the number of patient services immediately accessible around the patient.

HOWORTH AIR TECHNOLOGY has announced the formation of a new division – HOWORTH BIO TECHNOLOGY. The new division is headed up by product and business manager, Mike Aitchison, and has been established to service Howorth’s increasing market demands for effective, safe, state-of-the-art vapour phase fumigation systems, to control healthcareassociated infections.

Medical engineering specialist, STARKSTROM, has been supporting the UK export market by winning substantial orders on hospital operating theatre projects throughout Europe and in Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and India, and across the whole of the African continent.

Patients who require a blood transfusion in smaller hospitals often do not have the same choices as those in larger hospitals. Most orthopaedic, vascular and spinal surgeons, when working within the NHS, routinely give patients their own blood back intra-operatively, in order to avoid a donor transfusion. The demand for this technology is usually low in smaller NHS hospitals and the private sector and it is not cost and resource-effective to safely deliver an in-house cell saver service.

PENTAX LIFE CARE, an expert in high definition endoscopy, has introduced an HD (high definition) video bronchoscope. The newest addition to the company’s established range of high definition HD+ endoscopes, the EB-1990i HD+ Bronchoscope offers a megapixel CCD that presents clear high resolution images with highly accurate, natural colour reproduction.

Since its launch, the SolidSafe System from ECOLAB has been attracting a great deal of attention in Sterile Services across the UK, Ireland and Europe. SolidSafe is a patented technology of highly concentrated solid chemistry which enables one 4 kg capsule of MetalClean solid detergent to provide as much cleaning power as approximately 80 L of conventional liquid detergent.

INTERSURGICAL has introduced a new product to its existing range of oral care products, to target the fight against Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP).

DR WEIGERT UK LTD has recently been highlighting the cost implications, as well as health and safety implications, arising from unresolved material changes which can occur during an instrument decontamination cycle.

NHS SUPPLY CHAIN has announced the introduction of two new innovative gloves: The Ansell Gammex powder-free surgical gloves with AMT antimicrobial technology are now available on NHS Supply Chain’s sterile surgical gloves framework agreement.

The incidence and effects of contaminating mycoplasma, bacteria and viruses in cell cultures are frequently underestimated when there are no visible changes, such as turbidity.

VERNACARE has introduced a wall mounted dispenser for its Tuffie wipes range. The system is said to offer increasing productivity and helps to make cost-efficiencies through waste reduction.

The major focus of an £8 million investment in facilities at The Park Hospital in Nottingham is the refurbishment of three existing theatres and endoscopy units plus the installation of a fully integrated theatre which includes a state-of-the-art critical care unit, which incorporates an AmbientLine therapeutic lighting system from TRUMPF MEDICAL SYSTEMS.

Enhanced management of pleural effusions at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital (QEII) in Welwyn Garden City have resulted from the portability and ease of use of SONOSITE’s NanoMaxx point-of-care ultrasound systems.

An advanced wound care dressing for moderate to highly exudating wounds has been introduced to the UK by SYNERGY HEALTH, suppliers of Comfifast.

The best way to combat waterborne pathogens is to treat with heat – this is why hot water services in hospitals are typically circulated above 60°C and the cold water is maintained <20°C where Legionella is dormant.

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) has launched the 5 mm BD AutoShield Safety Pen Needle.

MEDICHEM INTERNATIONAL has announced that its leading high level disinfectant, Trigene Advance, is now available through NHS Supply Chain.

There is currently a lot of discussion and debate over the scientific evidence and associated risk factors related to decontamination of surgical instruments in respect of their transport conditions, should they be transported wet or dry?

The ever-present threat of healthcare associated infections (HCAI) has made sterility assurance a key consideration for healthcare providers worldwide.